Decisive force: the new American way of war

Abstract

Abstract : The 1992 National Military Strategy contained a new strategic concept titled 'Decisive Force.' The project traced the development and evaluated the merits of a 'New American Way of War' embodied in the Decisive Force concept. Lessons about the utility of force from 4 different conflicts were examined. These conflicts included Vietnam; Lebanon 1982-1984; Panama; and the Persian Gulf Conflict. The examination of each conflict was made using a four-stage assessment including; the objectives of each case; how force was used or limited; civil-military relationships; and finally, aspects of popular support for each intervention. The following conclusions were drawn about Decisive Force: (1) It is derived from perceived lessons learned from the past two decades; (2) It is consistent with our strategic culture; (3) It is a very useful declaratory policy; (4) It is not universally applicable across the conflict spectrum; and (5) It does not represent a direct challenge to effective civil-military relations